


Protect and Nurture

by ren (renegadewriter)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Basically Everyone Wants to Protect Obi-Wan, Because He's Incapable of Taking Care of Himslef, Brothers, Clones Care, Don't Mess with Their Jedi, Everyone is Worried Okay!?, Gen, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Plo Koon, Protective clones, S04E12 - Slaves of the Republic, The 212th are definitely NOT losing their shit, Waxer is NOT dead so shush!, Worrying over Brothers, Worrying over Stubborn Jedi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-23 16:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13791651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renegadewriter/pseuds/ren
Summary: “What do you mean he was taken by slavers!?” Rex winced, looking over his shoulder to make sure no-one had heard. He was hiding in a dark alleyway, and the last thing he needed was for this hiding spot to be blown by an outraged Commander.When their General is taken by slavers, the 212th is half-way across the galaxy. They must wait and pray that their brothers can get to him in time.





	1. In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Why are titles always so hard? I've seriously spent an hour trying to come up with a title-what the hell? (still don't like it)
> 
> My big problem with animated shows, is that many times there are very deep things going on, things that leave a mark or that in real life, people would react to them loudly. But we only see the end of the episode and no one makes a comment or suddenly everyone is in perfect health or there is zero reaction and it.  
> drives. me. _insane!_
> 
> I really want to write many episodes from the Clone's point of view. 
> 
> This started off small and it just sort of expanded into a look at clone and Jedi behavior. I just LOVE it!

“What do you mean he was taken by slavers!?” Rex winced, looking over his shoulder to make sure no-one had heard. He was hiding in a dark alleyway, and the last thing he needed was for this hiding spot to be blown by an outraged Commander. Although, to be fair, he’d probably react the same if he were the one receiving such a message. Force, Ahsoka and General Skywalker were in the palaceplaying slave and slaver right now! He was having a hard time with that. But he was _here_ , in a position to _help_ his Commander and General. Cody and his men weren’t. 

 

All clones were protective of their Jedi. It hadn’t been something programmed into them, but they _had_ been programmed to be loyal and follow orders. But the Jedi… they were amazing sentients, who treated them as humans, let them have their chosen names,  _remembered_  and used them without needing any prompting. Risked their lives to save theirs, many times getting hurt in the process. They, well… they _loved_ their Jedi, and would do _anything_ to protect them. 

 

Although their recent experience with Krell might have made them rethink their position, it had only reinforced it. Skywalker's teasing and passion, Kenobi’s calmness, sarcasm and wisdom… they were _nothing_ like Krell, and they could now appreciate it even more. Both Generals had been dismayed when they learned what happened. Skywalker reacted with anger that translated into protectiveness, just _daring_ the Council to do anything to Rex or the others. Kenobi had been silent and guilt-ridden. Something Rex, Cody and the others had all tried to do something about. 

 

And now, Kenobi was in harms' way and his battalion was nowhere near that sector of space. 

 

“Things haven’t gone according to plan, but when do they ever when Kenobi and Skywalker are concerned?” He tried to joke. It didn’t work.

 

“Rex, we’ll go to your location and help you immediately.” Cody glared up at him from his wrist communicator.

 

“No!” He hissed back. “Listen Cody, I understand how you feel, but I didn’t call you because I need reinforcements."

  
“But-“

 

“I _do_ need them, make no mistake. But you’re too far away. I need you to contact Master Plo’s cruiser. He's closest and can make it here in a couple of days, hopefully to act only as a pickup.”

 

“Then why did you call me and not him directly?” Cody asked, curiously. 

 

Rex looked him straight in the eyes, or as straight as he could it being a holograph. “Because you deserve to know. I know _I_ would want to know.” 

 

Cody closed his eyes, thankful to have such a thoughtful brother. They all cared for each other of course, but contrary to what the Kaminoans wanted to think, they had their individuality, and with it came flaws. He knew some of his brothers lacked compassion, were very clinical or simply wouldn't think to let his brothers know if there was trouble. Not his closest brothers though. And he thanked the stars for that.

 

“Thank you _vod_.” He said, pouring all his gratitude into his voice.“I’ll contact Master Plo Koon at once. Cody out.”

 

As the holograph disappeared, silence descended on the bridge. Cody looked up at his brothers, all wearing the same look of disbelieve and dismay. For a moment, they all just shared in their concern. Concern and _anger_. They would contact Master Koon, then they would make their way to the Zygerrian home world, and the gods have mercy on them if their General was hurt in any way. 

 

* * *

 

Stuck in hyperspeed, Cody could do nothing but pace, and worry. They contacted The Jedi as ordered, and Plo Koon’s Wolfpack was on their way, as were they. 

 

Once the Jedi General had acknowledged their plight, he’d turned to start giving orders with a sense of urgency, leaving Commander Wolffe a few seconds to speak with him. 

 

“Don’t worry Cody, we’ll make sure we find him, and bring him home.” Again Cody had been moved by his brothers’ empathy. It was more a pleasant surprise coming from Wolffe, who was even more no-nonsense then he was, and wasn’t someone who would share their emotions freely.

 

“I am blessed to have such brothers, thank you Wolffe, and take care.” With a final nod, the Wolfpack Commander had finished the transmission.

 

That had been two hours ago. 

 

Now, Cody did his rounds on the _Negotiator_ , not so much inspecting that everything was in order, but making sure his brothers were calm. Not that any of them were, but at least he could see to it that everyone was _coping_ with their worrying and fury rather than simply, as Rex would say it, ‘losing their shit’. 

 

Waxer and Boil were his current problem. Kind hearted Waxer was certainly _not_ calming down and Boil was not succeeding at making him relax. Ever since Umbara and the former’s close shave with death, they had been even more inseparable than before, more so because Waxer had nightmares. 

 

“Troopers.” Cody called. Both straightened and stood at attention. 

 

“Sir!” 

 

“At ease troopers.” He took in their appearance. Waxer seemed on edge, his eyes wide. Boil looked angry enough to shoot someone. He always looked like that when there wasn’t anything he could do for his brother. 

 

Cody felt the exact same way. They knew what the threat was, but they couldn’t _do_ anything about it. They were steadily heading for the direction their General was in, and in hyperspace everything was peaceful. In their heads, not so much.

 

“Waxer, I need you to calm down.” He said not unkindly. 

 

“I know, Sir. I know. It’s just that…” He sighed. “The General is always there for us. He spoke to me for hours after Umbara. He _cares_ and we’re not even near…” Boil put a hand on his shoulder as his brother trailed off, his voice shaky. 

 

Boil finished for him. “We hate standing around doing nothing.”

 

“I understand. Believe me.” Cody said. “But the best thing we can do for our General is to be ready.” He stood straighter, in that way that told everyone he was about to say something important and you’d better listen unless you wanted to face his wrath. 

 

“If there is one thing we know for certain, is that General Kenobi will be most displeased with us if we appear in front of him looking like we haven’t taken care of ourselves.” 

 

Boil snorted. “The hypocrite.” This earned him a scandalized gasp from Waxer and a glare from his Commander. 

 

“The Jedi rarely had back-up before the war. And they’re always expected to brush things off. But we know better, don’t we?” He challenged. Boil looked away. Cody was right, of course. They had been trained for such things. If the man next to you gets shot, you take care of him. If you were the man who got shot, you _let_ your brothers look after you. If a _vod_ is suffering, you’re there for him. Yes, they were expected to keep on going, but they were also taught the necessity of supporting your brothers, be it by sleeping in a pile at night to reassure yourself and them, or even going as far as sitting on them until they were ok. 

 

“You’re right.” His Commander continued.“Show me a Jedi that properly takes care of themselves and I’ll show you an impostor.” It really annoyed Cody to realize how true that was. Even Pond had complained about General Windu brushing medical off when he needed it. “It’s _our_ job now to make sure our General is properly looked after. But that means that _we_ have to be on top of our game.”

 

“Sir!” Both clones acknowledged.

 

Waxer took a deep breath. “Thank you Commander. I’m no use to the General like this.”

 

“Nothing to apologize for.” He smiled fondly. “I hate to see my brothers suffering, but at the same time, I see how we all care about the General, and it eases my worries.”

 

Both men smiled at him in understanding. 

 

“We’ll get him back, and make sure he doesn’t leave our sight.” Boil promised. 

 

The Commander turned serious again. “General Plo Koon should be arriving at any moment to their location. Wolffe has been keeping me up to date.” He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “We weren’t taught to believe in a deity or anything of that sort. But the Jedi believe in the Force, and it hasn’t let them down. Let us pray the Force is with them now.” 

 

The men inclined their heads and sent desperate prayers and pleas into the Force.

 

_“Please, bring our General back.”_ Waxer begged _._

 

_“Don’t let those scumbags hurt him.”_ Boil half hoped the Wolfpack took some prisoners if only to get some payback. He knew many of his brothers were hoping for a fight as well.

 

_“General. Be safe.”_ Cody put all his heart into his plea, fully trusting in their Jedi’s connection to the Force. 

 

And the Force? The Forced _listened._

 

 

* * *

 

Wolffe wanted to join the air force team in blowing up this Sithspit place. He wanted to shoot the Zygerrians out of the sky and watch as everything _burned_. 

 

Rescuing the Togruta had been bad enough. They were all clearly beaten, malnourished and scared. They had barely had the strength to even hold on to the lines that would take them to safety. Good thing General Plo had told them to bring their Jetpacks. 

 

He also saw how Ahsoka looked at her people and _hurt_ for them. 

 

But that hadn’t been the worst part. That had come when he met up with the rescue teams. 

 

_“Heads up brother. It’s not good.”_ Warthog had commed him as he made his way down. And it wasn’t. 

 

He heard him first. General Kenobi’s voice was easily recognizable. Calm, kind and seemed to swim in amusement. 

 

“I’m all right Anakin. Stop fussing.” He sounded a bit tired, but the 104th's Commander couldn't detect anything else from his tone. 

 

“You’re _bleeding_ Obi-Wan! You need to go to medical!” 

 

Wolffe moved past a group of troopers, bodily making his way between them. His brothers easily gave him space once they realized it was their Commander, and Wolffe realized they’d been acting as a _barrier_. His pack only did that when they wanted to make sure no harm would come to those they cared about. 

 

“General Skywalker is right! I was _there_ remember? There is _no way_ you’re fine! I’m going to demand a full scan and even then I _demand_ you go to the Halls of Healing!” Rex sounded positively furious, which never boded well. 

 

At last, Wolffe broke through the wall of men to where the three were standing. Or rather, two angry men were glaring down at the Jedi General who was slouched on a crate. He had his back to him, and Wolffe couldn’t help but freeze on the spot.

 

General Kenobi’s back was practically _shredded_. His robes were hanging in tatters and his back was bare for all to see. And they all saw the whip marks covering every inch of skin. There were bruises and blood covering most of his neck as well. One of their medics, Lifeline, was treating him-or trying to since the man kept waving him off-packs of bacta on his side as he tried to gently remove the remains of Kenobi's robes. He looked sick at the damage, but also angry and determined. His hands moved quickly but softly as he applied the bacta patches. 

 

Rex looked up and saw him, his face softening a bit at seeing his brother. But Wolffe zeroed in on the bruises on the Captain’s face, his _vod_ had also been hurt and Wolffe suddenly pictured his body in a similar state. It was too much. He strode forward with his face thunderous. The men around them took a step back, knowing full well the damage their Commander could inflict.

 

“General.” He greeted coming around so the man didn’t have to move. His face had even _more_ bruises and small cuts. Even with the beard, he could see how _thin_ he was. Rex also seemed to have lost some weight, but his brother was pure muscle to begin with. General Kenobi had already been skinny and Cody always complained how the stubborn Jedi sometimes forgot to eat. 

 

“Ah, Commander Wolffe, I am _delighted_ to see you.” The 212th’s General looked up at him with a genuine smile, kindness swimming in his eyes. Wolffe always thought it would be the same look on his General’s face if he didn’t have to use the protective goggles. “Please tell these two that I’m fine. Your medic is doing a great job as it is. I don’t need to go to the med.bay.” 

 

Wolffe stared for a moment, then looked up at Rex disbelievingly. The 501st’s Captain nodded at him, as if saying ‘yes, he _really_ believes what he says. Idiot.’. 

 

“With all due respect General. If you were one of my men I would have already dragged you down there myself.” He growled making the older Jedi grimace at the thought. 

 

“I’m surprise you haven’t done so.” He said the last directed at Skywalker with a challenging look. 

 

The younger Jedi looked angry and worried at the same time. He pointed accusingly at his former Master. “I don’t know where I should hold him!” There was a note of hysteria in his voice, and Wolffe couldn’t say he blamed him. It was true. There wasn’t a single place untouched on his body. Literal dragging would probably do more harm than good. Kriff. 

 

“As I said, I’m fine.” 

 

Now even the troopers surrounding them chimed in, unable to keep their outrage and worry at bay.

 

“General _please!”_

 

“You _can’t_ be serious!” That was Sinker, and he appeared to be ready to do the dragging himself. 

 

“How is he still conscious?”

 

“By the Force, is he for real?!”

 

“You’ve been _whipped_ General!”

 

“Where the hell is the rest of medical and that stretcher!?” Lifeline yelled. 

 

“General Kenobi stop being such a stubborn idiot!” And that was Rex who seemed ready to fall over himself. But at least Wolffe knew his brother would go willingly and take care of himself, although he wouldn’t do so until his former General wasn’t seen to first.

 

“You are all overreacting." The Jedi huffed in annoyance. "I’m perfectly,” The predictable ‘fine’ was cut short as a loud, _angry_ voice rose above theirs, the hangar practically echoing with it.

 

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, you _will_ go to the med bay and submit yourself to the care of my medics. You _will_ rest, and you will _not_ move until _I_ say you can!”

 

The group of clones of the 104th parted to let their General pass. He looked… well his posture emanated both fury and authority. 

 

They all fell silent. General Plo Koon strode forward until he was right in front of the human Jedi. Kenobi looked up at the Kel Dor and opened his mouth to speak, only to snap it shut as Plo Koon raised his talons to cut him off. They stared at each other for a long time, everyone around them falling into silence. They knew there was probably a Jedi thing going on. Ahsoka had once told Rex that most of the Council could use the Force to communicate telepathically outside of the Master and Padawan bond. He wondered if that was what was going on. 

 

Finally, something seemed to give and General Kenobi sighed in defeat. 

 

“I submit myself to your will Master Koon.” 

 

It was only then that their General relaxed. He carefully placed a clawed hand on Kenobi’s head. It was an action full of tenderness.

 

“We were all very worried about you. And I know that you have the bad habit of going around pretending you are fine when you are most likely not.” He sighed. “You used to drive us Masters crazy with worry.” He tilted his head in that way the 104th knew meant their General was smiling. “You still do.” 

 

Obi-Wan smiled tiredly. “I don’t like making people worry.” General Skywalker scoffed next to him and muttered something under his breath that definitely wasn’t a compliment.

 

“And yet, you fail at that when you don’t take care of yourself.” The soft words with a hint of rebuke in them had Obi-Wan looking guilty. 

 

“Move!” The silence and reverence of the moment was broken at the shout, and again the troopers parted to let their medical team pass, angry scowls on their faces.

 

“Fix-It, Patch, finally!” Lifeline yelled. “One stretcher for General Kenobi and the other for Captain Rex, on the double!” He ordered, already helping the 212th’s General up and onto one. 

 

Obi-Wan, submitting himself as he had promised, went without more prompting. Master Plo Koon assisted him when his fellow Jedi’s strength seemed to fail him, almost dropping to the ground. Anakin ran forward as well, each carefully guiding him to lay down.

 

Rex on the other hand held his hand up.

 

“Oh no, I can walk.” 

 

Wolffe growled at him and was about to bodily throw him on the stretcher before he was beaten to it. 

 

“Rex, if I’m going down, I’m taking you with me.” General Kenobi said with a tired smile. 

 

“Obi-Wan is right Rex.” Anakin added from where he was gripping his former Master’s sleeve. “We’re trying to get Obi-Wan to take care of himself. You should set an example.” 

 

Now it was Rex’s turn to mumble something definitely not nice and probably treasonous as he got on the stretcher waiting for him with the petulance of a child. The brohters around him smirked and chuckled, relaxing now that General Kenobi was _finally_ going to medical. The 501st’s Captain sent them a set of… interesting hand gestures. 

 

“Boys.” General Koon warned before addressing them seriously. “Please take care of the remaining Togruta. The second med-bay is setting them up. Lifeline, make sure everyone is seen to, I will accompany these two. Commander, come with me.” 

 

“Sir, yes Sir!” They all saluted before moving to do as they were told. Wolffe was about to join his General, but his brother’s voice stopped him.

 

“Wolffe, can I talk to you please?” 

 

General’s Koon and Skywalker were already moving to leave the hangar accompanying their fellow Jedi but stopped at Rex's request. The Kel Dor looked back and gave his Commander an encouraging nod, knowing that his Commander would feel torn between his vod and his duty. 

 

“Of course.” Wolffe said relieved. Not that he doubted his General would prevent him from being at his brother’s side, but it was always nice to be reminded of the Kel Dor's compassion and understanding. 

 

The three walked in silence after Rex forced them to wait a minute or two for the the Generals to be out of earshot. Patch had started running diagnostics even as he pushed the stretcher and grumbled to himself. Once they entered a relatively empty hallway, Rex spoke.

 

“Wolffe, I need you to contact Cody.” He grasped his brother’s hand with a sense of urgency, using an elbow to sit up. “I know he must be going _crazy_ about the situation.” 

 

Patch and Wolffe looked at each other before huffing in exasperation.

  
“We’ve been in contact with him throughout this whole mess. As soon as we were informed, the _Negotiator_ jumped into hyperspace coming after us. But they’re still far away. They should be here in two days or less if they push their hyperdrive to the limit.”

 

Rex rolled his eyes, leaning back onto the stretcher with a relieved sigh. “I’m going to go with sooner then.”

 

Patch chuckled darkly. “You think?” He asked sarcastically. 

 

“I should contact the 501st as well. General Skywalker and Commander Tano weren’t in muchdanger, but they’re probably ready to blow something up since I haven't talked to them in days.”

 

“Don’t worry about that brother, we’ve been keeping _everyone_ infromed. Your men know you’re both okay, and that General Kenobi is… well, alive.” Because he was definitely _not_ okay and no one was going to pretend otherwise. 

 

“I’m surprised he was still conscious and really _did_ talk like he wasn’t almost whipped to the bone.” Patch said, sounding both in awe and deeply frustrated. 

 

Rex groaned in exasperation. “Damn Jedi.” 

 

“Careful brother.” Wolffe glared.

 

“Oh shut up Wolffe. You feel the exact same way. At least General Skywalker always complains when he’s injured. Won’t let us treat him until Kix finds a way to sedate him, but we _know_ if he's hurt. I’ve worked under General Kenobi a long time before we were separated into two battalions, and trust me, there’s been many situations were the man was injured and didn’t say a _thing!_ Once, he had three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and fractured collar bone- _and_ he was bleeding internally. _None_ of us realized because he’s just so damn _stubborn._ We found out after a ten hour battle had been won and the man simply _collapsed.”_

 

“You’re joking.” Patch gaped. They had arrived to the med bay and the medic was setting his brother up. The Jedi were all waiting around a door that led to the bacta tanks on the other side of the med-bay, probably waiting before they could go in to see their fellow Jedi. General Koon sent his Commander a nod of acknowledgment, which he returned before focusing on his brother.

 

Wolffe and Patch helped him onto a proper bed, as well as gently removing his clothes. Patch took note of every wince and gasp as they did so before descending on him with all his medical knowledge. 

 

“I’m not.” He groaned as an IV was attached to him. He knew this was preliminary and soon he would probably join General Kenobi in the bacta tanks, though he knew he would spend a much shorter time in them. 

 

“I guess you’re lucky General Koon doesn’t get hurt so much.”

 

Wolffe sighed, running a hand through his hair. “That and he makes sure we all go through medical after a mission, even if there was no fighting involved. And since he leads by example, he includes himself.” He shrugged matter-of-factly.

 

Rex looked intrigued. “That’s… actually a good idea.” He would make sure his men knew about it and they would start implementing it as soon as possible. He’d make sure Cody knew as well. Why they hadn’t thought about it before was a mystery. It made perfect sense and would force their Jedi to take care of themselves. 

 

“All right Wolffe, I’m in good hands here. Please just go and calm Cody down. We both know he’ll appear all calm and collected but he’s definitely going to have a heart attack once he _knows._ And don’t even get me started on the rest of the 212th. We’ll be lucky if they don’t go directly to Zygerria to do some damage. _”_

 

The Wolfpack Commander knew exactly what his brother meant because they _would_ be giving the 212th a full report on what happened. Not only because it was protocol, but because they deserved to know. But that meant that they would also receive his medical files, and would be horrified at what they found.

 

Wolffe knew that Shinies and even some of his older brothers saw the 212th as a battalion full of pacifists and didn’t take them seriously. 

 

The _vode_ would often times mold with their General’s personality. Jedi Skywalker was reckless and had crazy ideas, which made the 501st a group full of insane and fearsome warriors. Troopers were sometimes scared of them. 

 

Even their own 104th, while General Plo was kindhearted and serene, they had all seen how dangerous he was when someone he cared about was hurt. After the _Malevolence_ , the Wolfpack was born. You hurt one of their own, prepare to be hunted down. 

 

But the 212th was different. General Kenobi was known for his kindness and unflappable calmness. He was _The_ Negotiator, a top strategist. This made his men look _too_ careful when fighting. They didn’t take risks and frankly, many saw them as _weak_. 

 

Which was stupid as they had been one of the battalions fighting in Geonosis and had fought almost singlehandedly on Christophsis. They’d been involved in many battles and _won_. And that was without taking into account their Jedi. Kenobi had a reputation of being one of the most talented fighters out there. It reflected in the fact that he was the Jedi Grievous and Ventress went after the most, because they just could. not. _beat_. him. 

 

What some seemed to forget, was that underneath all that ‘niceness’ the 212th were still _vode,_ still had the Mandalorian natural talent for fighting. And that meant they all had violence in their heart, the ability to bring chaos if they so wished. They were protective, as they all were. And maybe it was _because_ their General’s presence calmed their battle-lust, that once they had cause to truly _be_ angry… worlds  _burned._

 

The 104th's Commander let out a resigned sigh. Yes, Wolffe had his job cut out for him.


	2. Wolffe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wolffe's thoughts on everything that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, a million thanks to everyone who lefts Kudos and comments, they feed my soul. Hhahahaha.
> 
> Okay, so this chapter is a bit of insight into what Wolffe and some of the 104th was doing before Cody and the gang shows up. Mostly from Wolffe's point of view. The whole fic is mostly from the Clones POV. 
> 
> I'm thinking that I could do a few more chaps with Rex's POV, some of the 212th's before I link all of them together. Let me know what you think!

Wolffe looked at the figure suspended in the bacta tank. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi looked _terrible_. It had already been over a day since his rescue from Kadavo alongside the Togruta slaves. His body was severely malnourished. The Commander could count all his ribs, and his thinness only accentuated the whip marks. They were completely healed now, thanks to the bacta. But the scars would remain. Thin and almost invisible, but there. Even if they weren’t, _no-one_ would forget what had happened to the kind General. It _really_ pissed him off that any of this had happened. Not only to Rex and the General, but to the Togruta as well. 

 

Patch and the rest of medical were pumping Obi-Wan full of nutrients and proteins. They had even formulated a strict diet for the man that wouldn't stop once he healed, but would continue on for a long time. The Jedi hadn't been taking care of himself well before this incident. Wolffe almost pitied Kenobi, because knowing his brother, Cody was going to follow it to the letter and the 212th was going to have no qualms in making sure their General did as well. General Koon had been furious when he learned about the state of his fellow Jedi. Apparently, Kenobi had done this before in his youth. He reformulated his previous thought. He  _definitely_ pitied the man. He had a lot of explaining to do to both the 212th  _and_ General Koon.  

 

A quick surgery before the bacta tank had fixed a couple of broken ribs and fractured skull. His body had been covered in bruises and cuts, some Rex had told him, were done late in the night when the guards got _bored._

 

_“They kept hitting him. Over and over_ again _. Even when he was unconscious.”_ Rex had told him when they were alone a few hours after the Captain had left his owns bacta tank. His knuckles white as his fingers curled into fists. Wolffe didn’t need to be a Jedi to feel the anger and helplessness that had oozed from him. 

 

_“The worst part was that he just_ took it _. He didn’t fight back. As soon as he realized any reaction would make others suffer… he just let them do what they wanted.”_ It still took them all by surprise the lengths the Jedi would go to in order to ensure everyone’s safety. Wolffe had seen it in his own General, and it made them all scared. One day, they would get much more than they could take, and no-one would be able to do anything. 

 

His brother was another matter all together. He had escaped the worst thanks to General Kenobi, and for that Wolffe was thankful. There had been whip marks but nowhere near as extensive as the Jedi’s. Rex and the Togruta that had been ‘educated’ had needed a few hours in the tanks for the damage to be fixed, and Rex said they would be a reminder of what they were fighting against, as well as who they were fighting for. The bruises along his body had also disappeared, and Rex was already getting his health back. It would still take a few days for him to be able to train again, but he was _ok_. Rex knew the importance of getting things off his chest and letting medical treat him. Of sleeping and eating correctly, even if the worrying was keeping him awake at night. He ate dutifully what was given to him and settled down to rest as often as he could. The sooner he healed, the quicker he could go out there and get some payback. 

 

It was the stubborn man known as Obi-Wan that was going to be trouble. He was going to want to get out of bed the moment he woke up and go on a mission. They _all_ knew it. 

 

“Can’t we just chain him to the bed?” Boost had asked a few hours ago when they were meeting with their General to discuss the current situation and their future missions. 

 

Wolffe gave him an unamused look even as the Kel Dor sighed. 

 

“You have not had to deal with a pouting Kenobi who wants to make a point. Trust me, it does not end well. No, the best we can do is use his own tactics against him.” That had made them look up in confusion. 

 

“We’re going to have to _negotiate_ with him. _”_

 

“What!?”

 

“Sir, all due respect, none of us are any good at that.” Sinker said slightly desperate at the prospect.

 

“Exactly, it’s why we leave the talking to you.” Comet added. 

 

“Even Wolffe is bad at it.”

 

_That_ had earned him a glare. 

 

“Regardless, Kenobi is to stay with us for some time. The 212th will be right alongside us, of course.” And _that_ had made an uproar. The military and Senate had not understood _why_ two battalions were being stationed together when they were needed elsewhere, but the Jedi Council had been unmovable in this, and given no explanation. Admiral Coburn had not been happy about it either, but he'd been with the 104th for a long time, and he was a good man, so he'd only made his displeasure be known once and that was the end of it from him. “I have experience in dealing with Kenobi, and I’m sure Commander Cody is up to the task.” He continued. 

 

“I have no doubt Sir.” Wolffe had spoken up with pride. His brother was one of _the_ best out there. Many didn’t see that because he wasn’t in the filed often. But it was his tactics and on the spot decisions that had saved many trooper and even given them an edge. And, he had a stubbornness that rivaled Kenobi's. 

 

That had been the end of that discussion. But Wolffe and the others were very curious about both Generals’s past. They were good friends, it was obvious for any to see. The Kel Dor had been shocked when they received the transmission from Cody, and had literally dropped everything to go to his fellow Jedi’s aid. The flight to Kadavo had been tense, and he had even snapped at a few men (and apologized later looking like a kicked anooba). Even that scene down in the hangar, General Koon had been the _only_  sentient Obi-Wan had listened to. 

Every brother that had been present in the hangar had come by to sneak a peak at the General, wanting to see for themselves that he was ok. As soon as any of the medics discovered them though, they were thrown out. He had heard his _vods_  talking about it. No one was happy with what had happened and wanted their own revenge. Yet they all agree, regretfully, that it was the 212th's right to get payback on behalf of General Kenobi and Rex. They'd offer their assistance of course. 

 

A beep interrupted him from his musings. Patch appeared next to him with a medical data pad in his hands. 

 

“We can get him out in a couple of more hours.” He said, noting something down. 

 

“I thought he’d be coming out sooner. Rex’s been bothering me to come check.” 

 

The medic sighed. “Tell Rex he can never _ever_ call Commander Cody a mother-hen again.” Wolffe smirked at that. “And I want him in the tank until I know he won’t wake up with everything hurting. He’s mostly healed by now, and technically we could remove him. But Lifeline, Fix-It and I agree that a few more hours will ensure everything _stays_ healed. It also gives him more time resting. You and I both know when he wakes up it’s going to be near impossible to keep up with him.”

 

Wolffe rubbed his tired eyes. He had barely slept the past 48 hours. First planning the rescue mission, then making sure everyone was ok. His _vod_ , the Togruta, the rest of the Jedi... And boy that had definitely _not_ been easy. General Skywalker had been angry and sullen, taking it out on their sparring droids, and even some troopers brave enough-or stupid enough according to Rex-to offer to spar with him. Commander Ahsoka had been coming and going between all the Togruta, offering condolences for those that didn’t make it and using the Force to keep nightmares at bay. Her presence had been vital in the first few hours when the shock of everything that happened to them and their sudden freedom had hit. Most of them were in a separate med-bay being watched over by Lifeline and Fix-It. The Jedi from the 501st were finally sleeping after much prompting from General Koon. 

 

“I’m going to the bridge. Do you think he’ll be out by the time the _Negotiator_ gets here?” 

 

Patch thought about it. “Don’t know. Their last transmission put them burning speed like there’s no tomorrow. Should be. Why?”

 

“Seeing him like this…. it’s worse them him laying on the bed.” The Jedi looked lifeless, floating in the tank with tubes going into his arms and an oxygen mask covering half his face. He was naked expect for a pair of black shorts to preserve his dignity. Tall and thin with no meat on his bones and every scar shining in the liquid. He looked _frail_. Here in the darkened med-bay, being the only tank in use, he was like an experiment that was left forgotten. No, he really did _not_ want anyone else to see the Jedi like this.

 

“Hmmm, I know what you mean.” The one time they had seen their own General suspended like this had nearly broken all their hearts. Wolffe would spare his brothers that sight if he could.

 

The Wolfpack Commander placed a hand on the bacta tank. “Get well quickly General Kenobi.” He said softly while  Patch busied himself with reading the oxygen levels and pretended not see his Commander’s gesture. Wolffe had the reputation of being well… mean. His cybernetic eye and all together no-nonsense approach did nothing to contradict this. But they all knew better. You weren’t General Koon’s Commander and friend by being _mean_. Honestly. 

 

“Right, I’m out of here. Comm me and the General the _second_ you’re going to take him out. I’m sure General Skywalker and Commander Tano would like to know as well.”

 

“Should I call Rex and the rest of the 104th?” Wolffe glared and Patch offered him an eyeroll. “Yes, yes, yes. Everyone is worried. We all care. I get it. All parties will be informed.” He made a shooing motion. “Now go, I’m sure General Koon would like to see you.”

 

The Commander muttered something not nice about where the medic could shove his comments and ‘orders’ but left anyway. He was definitely _not_ looking forward to the next few days. Especially knowing how his brothers of the 212th were going to react. 

 

* * *

 

 

The doors opened with a hiss, the bridge mostly empty except for the night crew and of course, General Koon who stood studying a map and inputting different scenarios in the cruiser’s computer. Just because their worlds were paused didn’t mean the rest of the galaxy was taking a break. 

 

“Commander.” The Del Kor greeted without even looking. It still amazed them that the Jedi didn’t even need to look at them to tell them apart. 

 

“General. Anything interesting?”

 

The Jedi sighed. “Nothing yet. The Separatists are quiet, which is both welcomed and suspicious.”When there was Separatist activity everyone knew where to be and what to do. Silence left everyone in a limbo.

 

Wolffe gave a displeased sound and studied the probabilities the Kel Dor had been testing beforehand. There was a comfortable silence before the Jedi spoke.

 

“You’ve been down to see Obi-Wan.”

 

“Yes.” The Commander couldn’t help the inflection at the end, making it sound like a question. If his General was bothered by it he could stop, though he doubted that was what the Kel Dor was going to say.

 

The Jedi chuckled deeply. “Indeed, I would never ask that of you.” Wolffe flinched, not realizing he had projected. The Kel Dor raised his talons to stave off any apology. 

 

“The apology is mine for not shielding myself better. Your thoughts are your own.” Wolffe was going to apologize anyway for making the Jedi feel like he was intruding, but the Kel Dor continued. “I was merely surprised how much time you’ve been spending with him. I would have thought you would have been beside your brother.”

 

Truth was, even Wolffe was a bit surprised.

 

“After a while I don’t know whether to sedate or shoot Rex. He can be quite annoying when he’s on bed rest.” The Jedi chuckled at the image, remembering his Commander being much the same when _he_ had been stuck in the med-bay. His brother Patch _had_ actually sedated him. Master Koon had reprimanded the medic on such tactics but it hadn’t had the effect he wanted as he’d been laughing at the time. He decided not to bring that incident up. 

 

Wolffe sighed. “Truth is, we’ve seen brothers and Jedi alike in the med-bay more often than not. But… they’ve always been hurt in battle, putting up a fight and defending themselves tooth and nail. This though… this wasn’t a battle, and neither could defend themselves. It had no purpose but cruelty.” He shook his head. “It hurts to know Rex went through something like that, but it’s also disturbing to see someone like Kenobi so mistreated. He’s been good to Cody, Rex and everyone who has ever been under his command. For us clones someone like that…” He took a deep breath to control his anger. “Someone like that shouldn’t be harmed.” 

 

The Kel Dor stood in silence, absorbing what he had just heard. It still surprised him to see how the Jedi appeared in the eyes of the clones. For a long time they had been told they were tools created to fight and die for the Republic. They had accepted it. But after being out in the real world, seeing the different peoples and ways of life, doubt and longing had settled in. Now, when someone referred to them as tools, it _hurt._ And then came the Jedi and gave them names, art, friendship and even, a family. Master Koon knew they were special to the clones, maybe even seen as parents or older brothers and sisters, but the clones were special to the Jedi as well. Many Jedi reported the violence and aggressiveness that rose from their men when they were hurt. It had been a cause of concern at first, but it had quickly died as they’d seen it for what it really was: men-no-friends and _brothers_ who were protecting their own. 

 

Before he could offer a response, an officer approached them with quick steps. “Sir, Republic cruiser coming out of hyperspace.”

 

Both Commander and Jedi looked toward the window just as a cruiser appeared in their line of sight. Wolffe groaned to himself. There went his hopes that no one was going to see General Kenobi in the bacta tank. 

 

“They’re hailing us Sir.” One of his brothers said. 

 

_Of course they are._ Thought the Commander with an eyeroll. 

 

“Put them through.” 

 

“This is Commander Cody of the _Negotiator_. Permission to come aboard Sir.” His brother sounded as proper and by the book as ever, but Wolffe knew better. He’d talked to him not three hours ago and the man had been in the middle of calming down several squads who wanted to head _straight_ for Zygerria. Wolffe knew that if Cody hadn’t been the Commander, and wanted to see General Kenobi with his own eyes, he would have been the first on a gunship leading the charge. 

 

“This is Master Koon, permission is most definitely granted. I will meet you in the hangar.” 

 

“Thank you, Sir.” The Jedi could hear the sincerity in those words and his heart burst with affection for these men.

 

With the connection cut the General turned to leave, nodding to Wolffe to follow him. 

 

“Please let Admiral Coburn know the _Negotiator_ has caught up with us and will probably be in repairs for a while. I will wish to speak to the Council in an hour.” He gave his orders to different clones who answered with a ‘Yes, Sir.’ and moved to different stations. 

 

As they walked the hallway to the lift, Wolffe comm-ed his vod. 

 

“Patch, prepare to have your med-bay invaded by the 212th in about… 20 minutes or less. The _Negotiator_ just came out of hyperspace _._ ” Disbelieving silence greeted him before his _vod_ exploded. 

 

“… Are you kidding me!? Sithspit, kriffing idiots! I’m not letting Kenobi out of here for another two hours! They are more than welcome to come and sulk all they want in the _waiting room_. And someone make sure to send a whole crew of mechanics, engineers and what not to make sure they’re not going to blow up at any second! Seriously, I’m just a medic but even _I_ know you don’t push a warp-core-,” Wolffe cut-off the transmission before the medic could really start his tirade. 

 

Beside him, General Koon laughed as they waited for the lift. “Remind me to give Patch something nice when this is over. I don’t think they’re going to take it well when our dear medic doesn’t let any of the 212th into his med-bay.” 

 

Wolffe let out an exasperated huff. “Don’t laugh General, I’m the one that’s going to have to keep them from throwing Patch through the airlock.”

 

The lift arrived and both got on it. “I’m still amazed by how protective you can all be.” The Kel Dor confessed, a smile in his voice. Wolffe smirked at that. He had _no_ idea.

 

“You know, when that Separatist ambush landed you in the bacta tank, we went out and _razed_ their base and two nearby outposts to the ground.” He waited until the lift started moving. “Imagine what Cody and his men are going to do.” And he did not sound _smug_ about it at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm I don't know if I should write what Cody and company were doing, thinking, planing before they arrived, or Rex's POV. Or mix the two. Hmmmm What do you think?

**Author's Note:**

> Mandalorian is hard. I picked up a few words from different fics, but I'm still not sure about some words or their use.
> 
> Is vode the plural of vod? (brother) HELP!
> 
> Also, Word keeps trying to correct any 'incorrect' word so apologies if I missed correcting an autocorrected word... Does that make any sense? 
> 
> Annnnd, I'm a bit stuck on how to continue. I'm thinking about some possible reactions but they kind of clash with other half written fics I have (I'm literally going back and forth). If I ever finish them it will sound really repetitive... Ideas?


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